BH-BL optimistic after season-opening loss to Shaker

BURNT HILLS >> Despite getting overwhelmed in its own building in the first game of the season, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake boys basketball team remained optimistic after a 69-48 loss to Shaker Tuesday night at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School.

“It’s our first game, it’s a whole new staff, these guys are learning our expectations from the freshman level all the way up to varsity … it’s a work in progress,” BH-BL coach Andrew Haluska said. “I got 13 kids who busted their butts all night long for me. We’re not the most talented team ever, so we have to do it with intensity, effort, guts and things of that nature, and I think we saw that (Friday).”

Burnt Hills (0-1) trailed 22-8 after the first quarter and was never able to mount a significant run, as Shaker’s (1-0) size and floor spacing proved to be too much.

“We knew we had to battle, we knew (Burnt Hills) was going to play hard and they proved it (Friday),” Shaker coach Jeff Holmes said. “Their hustle and determination made it a very competitive game, I thought they out-hustled us to be honest with you, they forced a lot of turnovers.”

The Blue Bison’s gameplan was in full effect from the opening tip. With the game tied at three, Shaker went on a 10-0 run propelled by Dare’s two consecutive lay-ups and Dare finding Francis and Holmes for wide open 3-pointers.

Shaker’s strategy of establishing Dare in the post early in the contest caused problems for the Spartans. The center used his strong frame to out-muscle Burnt Hills’ defenders en route to several easy buckets.

More significantly, however, Dare’s inside presence forced the Spartans to double-team him, and the senior made them pay by locating open shooters beyond the arc.

“We had (Dare) scouted, we knew he was going to go to his left, and he went to his left and he finished,” Haluska said. “He’s a great player, Holmes shoots it very well … they created great space, but we have no choice, we have to double down on the post and create help, obviously that’s going to leave someone open.”

Down 26-8 in the early minutes of the second quarter, Burnt Hills went on a 6-0 spurt courtesy of two Jablonowski lay-ups and a Nydegger jump shot. That’s as close as the Spartans would get, however, as Shaker carried a 17-point lead into halftime and a 54-33 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“We have a bunch of new guys, we kind of got off to a slow start,” Nydegger said. “They’re a very athletic team that’s been together for a long time, and we have nine or 10 brand new kids.

“(Dare) is one of those guys that when he gets down there, everyone collapses because of his size and that opens up four guys. He’s very good at that, it’s one of the main reasons they’re such a great 3-point shooting team.”

Nydegger insisted that facing a more experienced team in the Spartans’ first game might be a blessing in disguise.

“I actually like starting the season against a team like this, I think it will better prepare us for things to work on,” he said. “It gives us something to build off of.”

Haluska, too, acknowledged the contest as a building block and reiterated how pleased he was with the team’s effort.

“When you’re going to face a team that I coach, it’s going to be effort, diving on the floor for loose balls, we’re going to guard and at the very least you’re going to know that you played us,” he said. “We want to build off of what we accomplished (Friday), we’re going to see more zone (defense) … we think athletically and size-wise I know we can play with Shen.”

Burnt Hills travels to face the Plainsmen at 7 p.m. Tuesday, while Shaker hosts Saratoga Springs Tuesday at the same time.